Hello everyone and welcome to the first part of our Learning Salesforce Flows series. This blog post will delve into Salesforce Automation Overview, and the key differences between workflow, process builder and flows
Salesforce Automation Overview :
Salesforce Automation allows you to streamline and automate business processes, making them more efficient and effective. There are three primary tools for automating processes in Salesforce: Workflows, Process Builders, and Flows. Lets discuss in details about workflow, process builder and flows
What is Workflow?
Workflow is a simple automation tool that allows you to automate standard internal procedures and processes to save time and increase efficiency. To automate simple tasks that require a few actions and conditions, one can use it.
To automatically trigger an action based on specific criteria, you can set up a rule in Workflow.
Workflow rules have two important parts –
- “Criteria,” which is the condition that must be satisfied for the rule to take action.
- “Actions”, which are the steps that the rule takes when the criteria are met.
Workflow actions can be categorized into two types based on their execution timing. These types are:
- The first type is Immediate Actions, which execute as soon as the rule criteria are met.
- The second type is Time-Triggered Actions, which execute at a specified time set during the action’s creation.
Salesforce allows four types of workflow actions to be specified:
Email Alerts
It allows for the sending of email notification, when the criteria is met.
Field Updates
It allows for the automatic update of a specific field on the record or field on a parent record of a Master-Detail relationship, when the criteria is met.
Task Actions
Tasks, which creates a task assigned to a specific user or group, when the criteria is met
Outbound Messages
It allows for the automatic sending of messages to an external system or API, when the criteria is met.
Salesforce Workflows Documentation –
Note that Salesforce has issued an update stating that Winter 23 will not allow creating new workflow rules.
What is Process Builder?
Process Builder is a more advanced automation tool that allows you to create complex business processes which were not possible in workflows.You can use Process Builder to automate processes that require multiple steps and actions. As you build your automation, it provides you with a graphical representation. With Process Builder, you can define a set of criteria and actions that it executes when it meets those criteria.
You can perform the following actions with a Process Builder:
| Create a record (not just Tasks!) | Update related records | Launch a Quick Action | Submit for approval | Call Apex code | Invoke another process or flows | Post to Chatter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Process Builder can create new records not only for tasks but also for other objects based on defined criteria. | Parent or Child records can be automatically updated using Process Builder, eliminating the need for manual updates. | Quick Actions can be launched to create or update records without leaving the current page, saving time and effort. | Records can be submitted for approval automatically, streamlining the approval process and reducing errors. | Apex code can be executed in response to specific events, providing greater flexibility and customization options. | Process Builder can can launch a flow to automate a series of actions and can also invoke another process as part of its execution. | Process Builder can also make posting to chatter automated, making it easier to communicate and work together effectively. |
Salesforce Process Builder Documentation –
What is Flow?
Flow is an automation tool that allows you to automate complex processes that involve multiple steps, screens, user interactions or events . You can use Flow to automate a business process by collecting data and using it to perform actions in your Salesforce org or an external system. Unlike workflow rules, which always execute behind the scenes, flows can provide screens to guide users through your business process. It can also perform more complex features that were not possible through process builders.
Difference between Workflow , Process builder and Flows –
| Feature | Workflow Rules | Process Builders | Flows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Use Cases | Simple automation of standard processes | Automate complex business processes involving single record or related records. | Automate complex processes involving multiple steps and user interactions or events. |
| User interface | Limited visual interface | Visual interface with drag-and-drop functionality, but slower ui and if / else like process. | Visual interface with drag-and-drop functionality, faster ui, flexibility with decisions and actions. |
| Triggers | Based on record changes only. | Based on record changes only. | Can be triggered by various events such as record changes, button clicks, and other user interactions etc. |
| Actions | Limited actions, such as field updates, email alerts, tasks creation and outbound messages. | A wide range of actions, including creating &updating records, sending emails, Apex code, Approval Process etc. | A wide range of actions, including creating, updating, and deleting records, sending emails, calling Apex code, scheduling actions, outbound messages etc. |
| User Interactions | Not available | Not available | Customizable screens and user input |
| Can do Record Deletion | Can’t be used to delete records. | Can’t be used to delete records. | Can be used to delete records. |
| Support for Majority of Objects in Salesforce | Not all objects are supported. | Not all objects are supported. | Most of the objects are accessible using Salesforce Flow. |
| Can be triggered on Login. | Not available | Not available | Can be triggered when a user successfully logs into Salesforce. |
| Error handling | Do not have built-in error handling capabilities. If an error occurs, it will be logged in the debug log and can be reviewed by an administrator. | Have basic error handling , errors are sent as email to administrator or it will be logged in the debug log and can be reviewed by an administrator. | Flow has several built-in error handling options such as displaying a custom error message, skipping the faulty element, or aborting the entire flow. |
| Debugging capabilities | Can be reviewed by an administrator in the debug log. | Can be reviewed by an administrator in the debug log. | Can be debug in flow builder and also can be reviewed by an administrator in the debug log. |
Why use Flow over Process Builders and Workflows –
The Salesforce roadmap states that they will retire workflows and process builders. Users will then need to use flow as the single tool for automation. Flow is capable of doing everything that was previously possible in workflow or process builders.
Salesforce is encouraging the use of Flows over workflows and process builders because they offer more advanced capabilities and greater flexibility. Flows allow you to create highly customized and complex automation processes that can handle more complex use cases. They also provide a more user-friendly interface, making them easier to use and maintain over time.
Additionally, Salesforce is investing in the development of Flows and has made significant improvements to the tool over the last few years, making it a more powerful and reliable tool for automation.
Salesforce Documentation Converting Existing Processes to Flows / Migration to Flow Help Articles –
That’s all for this post. We hope you found it useful in understanding the advantages of flows over workflow and process builder and Salesforce future road maps for automation.
We will cover the flows in more details in our next blog post.
Thank you for reading.
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